This invention relates to a condiment grinder-dispenser and is more particularly concerned with a hand-held and hand-operated pepper mill.
Hand-held and hand-operated spice grinders or pepper mills generally have an elongated body (housing) which encloses a condiment storage chamber and the grinding device which, when operated, dispenses the ground spice through an opening provided in the bottom. The most widely used spice grinders have a cranking arm directly connected to the shaft of the grinding mechanism and turned continuously and unidirectionally with one hand of the user while the other hand holds the mill over the food, generally in a vertical orientation.
It is a disadvantage of spice grinders structured as outlined above that both hands are needed for using them. This is particularly inconvenient if, for example, the user wishes to stir food simultaneously. There are, however, condiment grinder-dispensers which are adapted to be held and operated by the same hand.
Thus, French Pat. No. 348,715 discloses a pepper mill in which the crank arm is formed of a straight handle affixed to the grinding shaft and extending perpendicularly thereto. It is adapted to oscillate back and forth through a limited angle whereby the grinding shaft and the milling mechanism likewise execute a back-and-forth rotary oscillation through a limited angle. The user of such pepper mill can grasp the pepper mill body, hold it over the food and utilize his extended index finger to push the lever and then release it to allow a spring to return the lever into its original position.
Swiss Pat. No. 225,319 discloses a salt grinder in which, similarly to the above-described French patent, a straight lever is fixedly attached to a grinding shaft. The grinding shaft axis is generally horizontal during the normal use of the device, while the arm is upwardly oriented and is adapted to be engaged by the index finger and the middle finger of the user. At the same time, the user's thumb rests against a saddle-like extension of the container so that the salt mill is held by a pinching effect of the user's hand and is operated by repeatedly pressing the lever, overcoming the force of a return spring which extends to move the lever back into its farthest position from the thumb rest. Thus, similarly to the structure disclosed in the above-noted French patent, the lever and the grinding mechanism execute a back-and-forth oscillating motion through a limited angle.
Condiment grinders, particularly pepper mills structured on accordance with the above-described prior art have three signficant disadvantages: they require such a position of the user's hand that the ease and comfort of operation as well as a secure grip on the pepper mill body leaves much to be desired; further, a relatively strong return spring is needed for dislodging the condiment particles wedged in the grinding mechanism. Such relatively strong springs add to the discomfort of operating the pepper mill and exert relatively large forces on the mechanism and the housing. Also, during the periodic reverse motions of the grinding wheel, the condiment already in the grinding mechanism is thrown back and thus, during the successive grinding steps, an initial part of the wheel rotation is used not for grinding, but solely for drawing the condiment back into the grinding mechanism.